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Rabaul,
occupied by several thousand Japanese troops during WW2, is
the capital of East New Britain, an island which was strategically
placed for invasion of nearby mainland Papua New Guinea, and
ultimately Australia.
AIROCOBRA
P39 Q 15 BE
See
also: www.pages.drexel.edu/undergrad/sl24/aircraft.html#Foreign-made%20aircraft
In
October 1986 an American Air Force single seater fighter plane
was found in Rabaul harbour and later identified as an Airocobra
P39. As this is the only American single engined plane discovered
in the Rabaul harbour the following information is supplied
for those who are interested in diving on it.
The
plane is lying upright and flat on the harbour floor in approximately
35 feet of water. The main features of the aircraft remaining
are the three propeller blades, the spinner and bottom third
of the cockpit area, 'roll-cage' bar behind the pilot's seat,
the structural framework of both wings and the complete engine.
The
unusual feature of the P39 is that the 12 cylinder engine
is located behind the pilot with the propeller shaft going
between the pilot's legs. The following is a Missing in Action
Report compiled by Captain Edwin T. Bailey, dated 13 March,
1944.
"My
flight consisted of myself, Lts. Bodge, Shavak and LeDoux.
We took off from Green,lsland (off the north-eastern coast
of Australia) at 11.45 hrs, March 12, 1944. We were over the
Duke of York Islands (outside Rabaul Harbour) at 12.25 hrs.
We began weaving and dodging, letting down slowly to 15000
feet to begin our dive on the target, Rabaul City. We made
our approach from north to south, releasing our bombs at 6000
feet, making a sharp left turn over that target.
The
last time I saw Lt. Bodge was at the beginning of his dive
over Rabaul at 12. 30 hrs. The clouds at 8000 feet caused
my flight to lose sight of him after he began his dive. I
led my flight out to the rally point five miles east of Cape
Gazelle (behind Rabaul), and joined Major Collins, our section
leader. I reported Lt. Bodge missing as we circled the rally
point. We then called Major Twichell, leader of the second
section, to be on the lookout for Lt. Bodge. We then proceeded
back to Green Island (Australia), landing at 13.30 hrs.
I
took off as soon as we could get serviced at 14. 45 hrs and
led a flight of 12 aircraft back to Rabaul on a search mission
for Lt. Bodge. We searched the Rabaul area for 50 minutes
at 500 feet, including the entire St. Georges Channel area
and the coastline from Loweo Point to Raluana Point to Cape
Gazelle. We found no trace of a downed aircraft and returned
to Green Island, landing there at 16.45 hrs."
Lt.
Bodge is still listed as missing in action.
As
a sequel to the discovery of the aircraft, a team from the
Central Identification Laboratory, Honolulu, inspected the
aircraft in January 1988. if anyone is interested in diving
on the Airocobra P39, then contact Malcolm Archbold, Rabaul
Dive Club, P.O.Box 106 Rabaul, Papua New Guinea."
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